The Sandymount Track is a spectacular coastal walk located on the rugged Otago Peninsula, just 15 minutes from Dunedin. This trail takes you through a mix of regenerating native forest and open farmland, delivering jaw-dropping panoramas of Allans Beach, Hoopers Inlet, and the wild Southern Ocean. While the historic coastal clifftop loop is currently restricted for safety, the direct trail to the main viewing platform remains fully open, providing a short but memorable taste of New Zealand’s raw coastal beauty
Sandymount & Allans Beach Lookout
📍 OTAGO PENINSULA
Distance
2.0 km
Duration
00:45 hrs
Elev Gain
+60 m
Elev Lost
-60 m
| Date |
27 January 2026 |
| Starting Point |
Sandymount Road |
| Difficulty |
Easy |
| Pace / Gear |
4.0 km/h — None |
| Highlights |
Sandymount Lookout |
🗺️ Interactive Route Map
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The Sandymount Recreation Reserve on the Otago Peninsula offers one of the most rewarding short hikes in the region, delivering sweeping views over Hoopers Inlet and the long golden sweep of Allans Beach.
This area is rich not only in scenery but also in wildlife and local character. Hoopers Inlet is known for its calm waters and charming boatsheds, and the surrounding beaches are frequent haunts of sea lions and yellow-eyed penguins—one of the world's rarest penguin species. The short tracks from Sandymount provide some of the best elevated views of both the inlet and the beach, making this an ideal stop for photographers and nature lovers.
The Sandymount walk begins at the car park at the end of Sandymount Road. To get there, turn off Highcliff Road and follow the narrow gravel road to the reserve boundary. From the car park, the track leads you directly into a stunning corridor of historic macrocarpa trees—a living tunnel planted over a century ago. This path soon opens into coastal pastureland, leading you toward the cliffs. While the full Sandymount Loop is currently closed due to safety issues, the essential out-and-back walk to the main viewpoint remains open and easy to navigate. |
| Sandymount car park |
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| It's just 900m from the car park to the view point |
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| The corridor of macrocarpa trees |
As you walk, you’re traversing an active working farm that preserves the area's early agricultural heritage. Remnants like weathered farm buildings and old fenced paddocks still dot the landscape, and you’ll likely share the path with grazing sheep. It’s a poignant reminder of the peninsula's character, where rugged farming history sits right on the edge of the untamed Southern Ocean.
It is a gentle 900-metre stroll from the car park to the primary lookout. After about 400 metres, the track approaches a gate marked by orange-tipped posts. Instead of turning west through the gate, follow the marked path for another 150 metres to reach the main viewing deck. Standing 200 metres above the Pacific, the vantage point is nothing short of spectacular. |
| You'll be sharing the track with some of the local sheep |
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| The path to the lookout |
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| The new lookout platform above Allans Beach |
From the Sandymount viewpoint, you’re treated to a sweeping panorama that takes in the long golden curve of Allans Beach below, the calm blue waters and wandering shoreline of Hoopers Inlet, the prominent volcanic peak of Mount Charles / Poatiri, and the inland rise of Harbour Cone / Wharekākahu, all framed by rugged coastal cliffs overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean. The outlook also stretches across rolling coastal farmland, dotted with grazing sheep and historic farm buildings - classic Otago Peninsula character. |
| Allans Beach and Hoopers Inlet - Papanui Inlet can be seen in the distance |
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| Mount Charles |
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| Allans Beach |
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| Sandymount |
While the full loop remains closed, the short stroll to the lookout easily justifies the drive. To see Sandymount at its best, try to time your visit for the 'golden hour' just before sunset; the low light sets the white sands of Allans Beach aglow and turns the rolling hills into a sea of brilliant, velvet green. Since the track is fully exposed to the Pacific, it’s wise to pack a windbreaker even on sunny days—that ocean breeze can be surprisingly brisk.
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| The view from the lookout |
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| Hoopers Inlet |
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| The wild South Pacific |
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| Mount Charles |
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